The present invention is directed toward a fluid leak capture and drainage system and more particularly, toward a system which will protect furniture, computer equipment, and the like from damage caused by leaks from a ceiling.
Suspended or hung ceilings are often used in businesses and offices and are used to finish and conceal the space between the ceiling and the roof or floor above which is used for air conditioning and heating ducts, electrical conduits, and piping. Leaks may occur from the aforementioned elements, from an opening in the roof of the building, or from faulty plumbing or the like. If a proper leak capture and drainage system is not in place during a leak, computer equipment, electronic devices, documents, furniture, and the like are likely to get damaged.
Many attempts to solve this problem have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,343 to Rutledge discloses a leak-proof ceiling system which includes a pair of elongated longerons suspended beneath the roof. Troughs are suspended between the longerons. Each longeron has a shield member so that fluid contacts the shield member and is directed into the trough. A drainage system empties the troughs as they get filled. This device, however, cannot be installed into an existing ceiling and would therefore, be somewhat limited in its versatility and usefulness.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,591 to Duncan discloses a device for containing leaks above suspended ceilings. This device includes a receptacle which replaces a regular ceiling panel and is installed on the grid structure of the suspended ceiling. Fluid accumulates in the receptacle and is drained via an attached hose. However, because of the shape of the device, it may not be able to withstand significant leaks and thus, may not perform very effectively.
Other relevant inventions are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,167 to Drew et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,718 to Thornburgh. These inventions, however, do not appear to provide very effective drainage systems.
The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a drainage system which will protect furniture, computer equipment, and the like from damage caused by leaks from a ceiling.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a drainage system which can be installed easily in an existing suspended ceiling.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a drainage system which includes a ceiling panel that maximizes fluid flow while minimizing the weight of the collected fluid and distributes the weight produced by the collection of fluid within the panel in an efficient manner.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided a drainage system for ceiling leaks which includes a ceiling panel support grid and a plurality of ceiling panels mounted thereon. The ceiling panel has a raised platform located in the center of the panel and a wall extending along the periphery of the panel so that a perimeter trough is formed between the platform and the wall. The wall has a top edge and a rim extending outwardly and generally perpendicularly from the top edge of the wall and at least one opening formed through the wall. A fitting is connected to the opening and tubing is attached to the fitting for draining the trough as fluid collects therein.